美国交通部考虑禁止在飞行中打电话

 　　美国交通部考虑禁止在飞行中打电话

　　WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) said on Thursday it is now planning its own review to possibly ban in-flight calls, hours before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to launch the review of the technical rules that regulate the use of cell phones during airplane flights.

　　"Over the past few weeks, we have heard of concerns raised by airlines, travelers, flight attendants, members of Congress and others who are all troubled over the idea of passengers talking on cell phones in flight," U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement. "I am concerned about this possibility as well."

　　Foxx said the FCC's sole role on this issue is to examine the technical feasibility of the use of mobile devices in flight, while the USDOT, which oversees¹ the aviation industry, is to determine if allowing these calls is fair to consumers.

　　"USDOT will now begin a process that will look at the possibility of banning these in-flight calls," Foxx said. "As part of that process, USDOT will give stakeholders and the public significant opportunity to comment."

　　Hours later, the FCC voted 3 to 2 to initiate² a proceeding³ to consider a proposal that, if adopted, would give airline carriers the ability to allow passengers to use their mobile wireless⁴ devices, such as cellphones, while flying above 10,000 feet.

　　"Today's proposal to remove outdated⁵ rules and expand access to mobile wireless services during air travel is pro-free market, pro- competition, pro-consumer, pro-technology, and de-regulatory," FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said in a statement.

　　But even Wheeler himself is not in favor of calls on planes. The proposal has "garnered⁶ a great deal of attention and been widely misunderstood. Let me say up front that, I get it. I don't want the person in the seat next to me yapping at 35,000 feet any more than anyone else," he said.

　　"So then why are we still moving forward with this item?" Wheeler asked. "We simply propose that because new technology makes the old rule obsolete⁷ ... the Commission's engineers believe that there are no technical reasons to prohibit such technology to operate in the United States. If the basis for the rule is no longer valid⁸, then the rule is no longer valid. It's that simple," he said.

　　The proposal would not require airlines to install onboard access systems or to provide mobile wireless services to passengers on their fleets, the FCC said. Under the proposal, the use of mobile wireless devices would still be prohibited as a default, unless an airline installs an onboard system to manage the service.

　　In a background statement, the FCC said Foxx's announcement will not pre-empt its determination because the USDOT "will determine solely⁹ if allowing voice calls is fair to consumers."

　　A month ago, the USDOT's Federal Aviation Administration determined¹⁰ that airlines can safely expand passenger use of Portable Electronic Devices during all phases of flight. The changes will allow passengers to read e-books, play games, and watch videos on their devices without having to turn them off during takeoff and landing. But in the meantime, cell phones should be in airplane mode and cannot be used for voice communications.WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) said on Thursday it is now planning its own review to possibly ban in-flight calls, hours before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to launch the review of the technical rules that regulate the use of cell phones during airplane flights.

　　"Over the past few weeks, we have heard of concerns raised by airlines, travelers, flight attendants, members of Congress and others who are all troubled over the idea of passengers talking on cell phones in flight," U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement. "I am concerned about this possibility as well."

　　Foxx said the FCC's sole role on this issue is to examine the technical feasibility of the use of mobile devices in flight, while the USDOT, which oversees the aviation industry, is to determine if allowing these calls is fair to consumers.

　　"USDOT will now begin a process that will look at the possibility of banning these in-flight calls," Foxx said. "As part of that process, USDOT will give stakeholders and the public significant opportunity to comment."

　　Hours later, the FCC voted 3 to 2 to initiate a proceeding to consider a proposal that, if adopted, would give airline carriers the ability to allow passengers to use their mobile wireless devices, such as cellphones, while flying above 10,000 feet.

　　"Today's proposal to remove outdated rules and expand access to mobile wireless services during air travel is pro-free market, pro- competition, pro-consumer, pro-technology, and de-regulatory," FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler said in a statement.

　　But even Wheeler himself is not in favor of calls on planes. The proposal has "garnered a great deal of attention and been widely misunderstood. Let me say up front that, I get it. I don't want the person in the seat next to me yapping at 35,000 feet any more than anyone else," he said.

　　"So then why are we still moving forward with this item?" Wheeler asked. "We simply propose that because new technology makes the old rule obsolete ... the Commission's engineers believe that there are no technical reasons to prohibit such technology to operate in the United States. If the basis for the rule is no longer valid, then the rule is no longer valid. It's that simple," he said.

　　The proposal would not require airlines to install onboard access systems or to provide mobile wireless services to passengers on their fleets, the FCC said. Under the proposal, the use of mobile wireless devices would still be prohibited as a default, unless an airline installs an onboard system to manage the service.

　　In a background statement, the FCC said Foxx's announcement will not pre-empt its determination because the USDOT "will determine solely if allowing voice calls is fair to consumers."

　　A month ago, the USDOT's Federal Aviation Administration determined that airlines can safely expand passenger use of Portable Electronic Devices during all phases of flight. The changes will allow passengers to read e-books, play games, and watch videos on their devices without having to turn them off during takeoff and landing. But in the meantime, cell phones should be in airplane mode and cannot be used for voice communications.

1 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

2 initiate   

vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入

参考例句：

• A language teacher should initiate pupils into the elements of grammar.语言老师应该把基本语法教给学生。
• They wanted to initiate a discussion on economics.他们想启动一次经济学讨论。

3 proceeding   

n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报

参考例句：

• This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
• The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。

4 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

5 outdated   

adj.旧式的，落伍的，过时的；v.使过时

参考例句：

• That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了，许多地址已经改了。
• Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。

6 garnered   

v.收集并（通常）贮藏（某物），取得，获得( garner的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Mr. Smith gradually garnered a national reputation as a financial expert. 史密斯先生逐渐赢得全国金融专家的声誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals. 他的提议得到了广泛的支持。 来自辞典例句

7 obsolete   

adj.已废弃的，过时的

参考例句：

• These goods are obsolete and will not fetch much on the market.这些货品过时了，在市场上卖不了高价。
• They tried to hammer obsolete ideas into the young people's heads.他们竭力把陈旧思想灌输给青年。

8 valid   

adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的

参考例句：

• His claim to own the house is valid.他主张对此屋的所有权有效。
• Do you have valid reasons for your absence?你的缺席有正当理由吗？

9 solely   

adv.仅仅，唯一地

参考例句：

• Success should not be measured solely by educational achievement.成功与否不应只用学业成绩来衡量。
• The town depends almost solely on the tourist trade.这座城市几乎完全靠旅游业维持。

10 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。